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"As well as being a strikingly beautiful bird, kingfishers are an important indicator of the general health of the waterway ecosystem, as like the big cats on the African plains, they are at the top of the waterway food chain.

"And good populations of kingfishers even in urban areas show the important role waterways have in greening our towns and cities by providing wildlife corridors which help sustain populations of a variety of both common and endangered species including bats, water voles and otters."

As a result of the increased sightings a number of kingfisher habitat improvement projects are being planned including the installation of kingfisher boxes, posts and tunnels to help support growing populations at a number of locations including the Regent's Canal in central London, the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and the Grand Union Canal at Leighton Buzzard.

The RSPB says the kingfisher, after declining last century, is now widespread in central and southern England although less common further north. There are an estimated 3,600-6,000 pairs in Britain.

They are usually found by still or slow flowing water such as lakes, canals and rivers in lowland areas.

The survey took place against the background of a wet summer and flooding in wife areas including Yorkshire and the Midlands which led to a reduction in the total number of sightings. In 2006 there were 6,000 individual reports but only 4,000 this year.

Some of the UK's rarer species were also spotted during the survey including water voles, otters and bats while a number of more unexpected animals were also seen, including seals, terrapins and even one alligator snapping turtle.

" The survey demonstrates that our canals and rivers are important wildlife corridors and it is heartening that so many species are doing well," said British Waterways' ecologist Chris John.

"It is all a result of water quality and sympathetic habitat management of trees, banks and reeds has been a major factor."